Car-truck



2 Sheets- Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

M. G. HUBBARD.

GAR TRUCK.

No. 326,654. Patented Sept. 22,1885.

WITNESSES OC l m .dttorney N. PETERS. Phowmnnmpner. wamingwr u. r;

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

M. G. HUBBARD.

GAR' TRUCK.

No. 326,654. Patented Sept. 22, 1885.

Zim/153i@ WITJVESSES .dttomey rrrcn@ MOSES G. HUBBARD, OF NORRISTON,PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-TRUCK.

r.5LPCJIPICATICN forming part of Letters Patent No. 326,654, datedSeptember 22, 1885.

(No model.)

T0 all wlwm it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, Mosns G. HUBBARD, or" Norristown, county ofMontgomery, and State of Pennsylvania, haveinventedanew and usefulImprovement in Car-Trucks, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,making part of this specification.

My invention relates to certain improvement-s in the construction andarrangement of the style of car-truck described in my previousapplication, Serial No. 142,302, to adapt it to -six wheels whendesigned to carry heavier loads, and also to the construction of thesprings thereof, to attain a more compact form, and to adapt on`e formof spring to both sides of the truck for greater convenienceinmanufacturing and supplying extras for repairs.

It further relates to the arrangement of two separate spring platformsin the truck, to adapt it, by their location, to equalizing the weighton all of the wheels of a six wheel truck.

It further relates to vthe construction and arrangement of abolsterextended in such amanner as to support the car thereon under its mainside sills.

It further relates to certain details of construction,hereinafter morefully described and shown, to attain greater economy in the manufactureand use and more perfect working of the parts.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a bottom view of the car-truckwith my improvements applied, except the brakes; Fig. 2, a sideelevation; Fig. 3, a vertical longitudinal section, Fig. 4, aplatform-bolster detached; Fig. 5, an enlarged detached View of springP; Fig. 6, an enlarged detached view of improved form of curvature ofthesprings, and Fig. 7 an enlarged detached view of the frame-hinge.

My improved six-wheeled truck-frame is composed, substantially,of two ofmy horizontally-flexible truck-frames hinged together at or near thecenter axle.

A A represent two portions of each of the side longitudinal sills of thetruck-frame, to which are strongly boltedthe pedestals which inclosetliejournal-boxes a a a2 in which the axles C C C2 are mounted.

B B are the wide and thin transverse bars or cross-sills secured to thelower edges of the longitudinal sills, and B2 B3 similar transverse barsor sills secured to their upper edges.

D D D indicate the wheels, secured to the axles in the usual manner.

The platform bolster, constructed as described and shown in Fig. 4,rests upon and is carried by iny long circumferential springs S S S2 S3S* S5 S S7, Fig. 1.

The spring-platforms K K extendunderneath the side sills, and thecrank-arms E E' E2 E3 E4 Es E El, Fig. l, on the outer or free ends ofthe springs, are connected to pendent links LL L2 L", Fig. 2, the upperends of which are pivoted to the side sills at N.

In the ordinary six-wheeled truck the vertical freedom of all the wheelsis partly attained by the employment of equalizing-bars in a rigidtruck-frame; but this arrangement has all the imperfections described inmy said previous application, and, in addition thereto, is entirelyinadequate to permit six wheels to conform to the greater inequalitiesofthe track Without injurious strain upon the frame and often veryunequally distributing the weight upon the wheels. In the ordinarysix-wheeled truck brakes are only applied to the end wheels, therebylosing one-third of the brake power of the most expensive and luxuriouscars. If the brakes are attached in such a manner that they will notaffect the springs, (as more fully described in my former applicationNo. 127,699,) no serious objection could remain to applying brakes toall the wheels. I therefore attach brakes for each pair of wheels andwork them with equalizingslevers by applying equalizing-levers to eachone of the three brake-bars and so connecting them as to causesubstantially an equal pressure on each wheel, as shown in Fig. 7.

In arranging the parts to permit a convenient length of truck it isdesirable that the recurved springs should be so formed as to occupy aslittle space longitudinally of the truck as `possible, and for thispurpose I make as large a curve at the recurvature as necessary to avoidinjury to the steel, and incline the second section of the spring asshown in Fig. l, or with the additional curve, as shown in Fig. 6.

IOO

The spring-cranks, being suspended by the pendent links, as shown at LL' L2 L3, Fig. 2, support the two spring-platforms K K', on which restthe two cross-planks V V', which support the two or more intermediatebeams, O O', on which the extended bolster F is securely bolted.

The springs at the recurved ends must be held loosely in their bearings,so they can work freely; but'unless these bearings fit perfectl y thesprings will rattle and wear the bearings rapidly. I have found that aslight elastic force on the springs to press them down and hold themfrom rattling is the cheapest and best method, and for this purpose Iintroduce rubber packing or small pressuresprings P in the form of ahalf-elliptic, and attach them to the under side of the springplatformdirectly over the steel bars which form the circumferential springs, asshown at I?, Fig. 1, and detached in Fig. y5, in such manner that theirfree ends will press down on the said steel bars and keep them fromrattling and consequent wear.

To permit the use of only one form of the recurved springs on both sidesof the truck, for convenience in manufacturing and repairs, I arrangeand locate them, as shown in Fig. 1, with the reversed inclination ofthe crankarms, those on one side of the truck being inclined toward oneend of the truck, and those on the other side being inclined toward theother end of the truck, this being practicable with the very shortcrank-arms employed with the long recurved springs. i

The long pedestals in common use on ordinary trucks for securing` andholding the journal-boxes and equalizing-bars are lia-ble to work looseand are a constant source of wear and danger. By employing thehorizontallyflexible truck-frame I dispense with the equalizing-bars,and therefore can reduce the length of the pedestals about one-half,which proportionally reduces their leverage and strain upon thetruck-frame and the parts by which they are attached. This reduces theirliability to work loose or break. I prefer to use this form of pedestalsin order to utilize the ordinary form of journal-boxes for convenienceand economy. The reduced length of the pedestals is most important inresisting the pressure of the brakes. Thus by employing thehorizontally-flexible frame and short pedestals I can safely apply threesets of brakes,and their independent attachment removes all of theirobjectionable vertical effect upon the car.

The extended bolster F should project out beyond the low frame andwheels sufficiently to support the car directly under its main sidesills. It may be made in one piece and located over the center wheels,or, when their relative height will not leave room for it between themand the ear, it may be made in two parts located one on each side of thecenter wheels, and strongly connected at the outer ends.

The two spring-platforms when united as described with the parts restingupon them, may for convenience be termed the platforrn bolster,7 whichis shown complete detached in Fig. 4. This platform-bolster, having itsvertical support upon the long circumferential springs, as described, islimited in its upward movement by the spring-platforms K K', extendingoutv under the side sills of the truck, and in its downward movement bythe intermediate beams, O O', which are located only a few inches abovethe lower eross-sills, and also by the bolster F.

A simple and effectual arrangement to attain the necessary verticalfreedom of the center wheels is shown in Fig. 2, in which each side orlongitudinal sill is composed of two parts, A and A', strongly connectedby a peculiarly-constructed hinge, Y.

The journal-boxes of four of the wheels are inclosed in pedestalsattached to the portion of the truck shown at A, and those of thefothertwo are similarly attached to the free ends of the sills shown at A',the other ends of these sills being strongly hinged at or near thecenter axle. Each half of this tru cli-frame, being constructedsubstantially in the form of my iexible truck previously referred to,may thus be hinged together in such manner as to impart the necessaryhorizontal and lateral fiexibility to the whole truck-frame to attainthe vertical and lateral freedom of its wheels.

To control the longitudinal position of the platform-bolster in thetruck, I use two pairs eross-sills Aof the frame and to theplatformbolster, as shown at J J J2 J3 in Figs. 2 and 3. The fixed endsof the draft-links should beattached at such a point vertically as tocause the free end to move about an equal distance from the horizontalat the two extremes of the vertical movement of the platform-bolster.The platform-bolster will thus be so attached to the truck that theextended bolster F will be free to move vertically and laterally, and

its ends will have a slight rotary freedom in a horizontal plane aroundthe king-bolt. As the durability and the proper working of this truckdepend much upon the manner in which its two parts are connected,it isimportant that the two frame-hinges should be constructed as shown at Y,Fig. 2, and detached in Fig. 8. R R' are metallic wearing-plates rivetedto the sides of sill A', near its inner end, and extending around underthe sill to form a metallic bearing. Z represents the center pedestals,made somewhat larger and stronger than the end pedestals, bolted to sidesill, A, and extending along several inches under the inner end of sillA', to form the vertical support, asY

shown detached in Fig. 8. On the inner side of this pedestal is cast awide flange or ear, H, which extends up on the inside of sill A', thusforming a strong socket, supporting this end of sill A' vertically andkeeping it in position laterally. Near the inner end of this sill is anIOO - of my anti-friction draft-links, attached to the IIO oblong hole,I', considerably larger than the bolt I, which passes through the flangeof the pedestal on the outside and through the oblong hole I in end ofsill and through the fiange Il. to hold the end of sill A in place inits socket, should emergency require it; but it is intended that thedraft-links shall hold the two portions of the truck together in properrelative position longitudinally and cause them to move in harmony witheach other, while the oblong hole through the inner end of sill A',through which the hinge-bolt I passes, will permit the truck to conformboth to verti cal inequalities and lateral curves of the track.

To further secure and complete the hinged connection of the two portionsof the truck, (and also to provide safety-loops for the center axle,) astrong arm may be bolted to the crosssill near each center wheel, and aniron loop formed on its end toloosely embrace the center axle, as shownat M, Fig. 3.

Safety-loops may be provided for the other axles in the usual manner, ifdesired. There should also be a strong iron check-loop bolted to each ofthe intermediate beams, O O, extending down and around the axle-centerinsuch position as to check its downward movement when required, and yetallow for all the movements of the truck, as shown at G G-, Figs. l and3.

Although the smallest curve which a car is required to travel wouldcause the flange of the center wheel on the outside of the curve to runonly a slight distance from the rail,yet this slight distance wouldthrow the whole side thrust on the outer end wheels of the truck, and assix-wheeled trucks are used on the heaviest cars and fastest trains thisside thrust is often of great force,and it is desirable to divide itequally between all of the outer wheels of each truck. This arrange mentalso serves another important purpose in bringing the leading andtraeting axles of the truck into positions approximating radial lineswith a curved track, and thus giving the truck a tendency to follow thecurve instead of departing from it.

The heavy draft of' this style of cars while traveling around curves isgenerally attributed to their increased weight and the sliding of theinner wheels, while the fact is that much of it is due to the pressureof the flange of the forward outer wheel against the rail, caused by itsaxle beingso far from a radial line of the curve, and thereby increasingthe tendency to climb the rail,77 which adds to the draft and danger ofderailiug.

Having now described my invention, I claim as newl. A six-wheeledcartruck composed of a four-wheeled exible truck and a two-wheeledexible truck the side sills of which are hinged together substantiallyas and for the purpose described.

2. In a six-wheeled car-truck, the truckframe hinged at or near itscenter, in combination with the check-loops G G', embracing its centeraxle, for the purposes and substantially in the manner described.

3. A six-wheeled car-truck frame, construe-ted in two parts, the sidesills of which are hinged together in such manner as to be tlexible bothvertically and laterally,substantiall y as and for the purposesdescribed.

4. In a flexible six-wheeled car-truck made in two parts, thecombination of the framehinge and the draft-links, the latter connectingthe bolster and the two parts of the truckframe, substantially as andfor the purposes described.

5. A cartruckframe hinge constructed,

substantially as described and shown, for the purposes set forth, foruniting the two parts of the jointed truck.

6. In a six-wheeled truck, the combination, with the jointedtruck-frame, of the framehinge uniting the two parts thereof, and thesafety-loops M M, embracing the center axle, substantially as and forthe purposes described.

7. A platform-bolster composed of the upper bar or bolster proper, F,the lower transverse bars,K and K, and the connecting-bars O and O',substantially as and for the purposes described.

8. In a six-wheeled truck, the jointed truckframe, in combination withthe platform-bolster and the trucksprings secured thereto,sub stantiallyas set forth.

9. In a six-wheeled truck,the combination, with the jointed truck-frame,of the platformbolster and the pendent links by which said bolster issustained,su bstantially as described.

10. In a six-wheeled truck, the platformbolster, in combination with thependent links and the draft-links, substantially as and for the purposesset forth.

11. In a six-wheeled truck, a platform-bolster suspended upon linkslocated and attached outside of the truck-frame and wheels.

l2. In a six-wheeled truck, a platform-bolster, in combination with thedraft-links, substantially as described.

13. The U-shaped or recurvcd circumferential springs with the armsthereof inclined or made to converge toward each other from the loop orrecurvcd portion substantially as and for the purposes described.

14.. The recurvcd springs provided with the expanded loop or extendedcurve at its recurvcd portion substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

l5. rlhe pressuresprings P, or their equivalent, in combination with thecircumferential springs for the purposes substantially as described.

16. rlhe U-shaped or recurvcd springs provided with crank-arms arrangedwith reversed inclination or set facing in opposite directions onopposite sides ofthe truck substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

17. In a six-wheeled car-truck, the combination of the twohorizontally-flexible truck- IOO IIO

frames having their side bars hinged together, l In testimony whereof Ihave hereunto set 1o the short pedestals and independent brakes my handthis 20th day of Deeeniber,A.D.l884. arranged for 2LH of the Wheels7substantially as described. MOSES G. HUBBARD. 5 18. The cdr-truckbolster suspended upon I swinging links and extended beyond the frameVitnesses: and Wheels7in combination with the low truek- JUDsON C.NICHOLS, frame, substantially as and for the purposes JAs. W. SGHRACK.described. t

